Write Effective Emails—Three Simple Tactics That Work

Amidst the swarm of emails that flood inboxes daily, it can be challenging to make sure your voice is heard in the mix. Just because you have subscribers who are already interested in what you have to say, doesn’t mean that they will open every announcement you send them. But by following a few simple methods the next time you are ready to deploy a new email, you can help ensure more of your content reaches the audience you are trying to engage.

Here are three simple components to writing an email that can help increase your email open rate and inspire your audience to take action:

Start Strong With Your Subject Line

You only have a few words to hook an audience, so subject lines should be short, descriptive and attention grabbing—you want to make every word count. To drive message open rates, introduce the scenario, state the topic or event and focus on the imperative. Getting the content right initially will make or break the success of any email campaign and it will set the tone for what exciting news you have to share in the body of your email.

Try It: In 10 words or less, state your subject line using this formula—SCENARIO + SUBJECT/EVENT + CALL-TO-ACTION. If you are writing a time-sensitive message to gain more contributions in a hurry, the end result might look something like, “Today is the Last Day—Sign Up and Show Your Support.”

Give Your Audience a Reason to Scroll

Once you’ve captured their attention enough to open the email, you want to keep the momentum going. Start with a primary headline then continue the conversation, linking sub-headlines within the email to get your readers keep scrolling. For those who are more inclined to browse an email for anything visually striking, bold, pithy content helps to break up the monotony of paragraphs and peak their interest.

Try It: The next time you sit down to write an email, cluster the content into themes or sections and write sub-heads to represent them. Using a numbered list or separate sections can help keep your message focused and easy to digest for your readers.

Include Key Call-Outs in the Footer

While improving your message open rate is important, a strong conclusion can make a major impact on your audience. The footer is the last chance for your audience to follow through with your intended message; if you want to encourage further engagement, make sure your audience has clear steps to take.

Try It: Develop a visually engaging footer for your emails and use the space wisely. If you want someone to follow your social media channels or visit your website, state the action and link to it. If you would like to invite questions or audience participation, include a simple “Contact Us” section in the footer.